Much has been made of the value of production meetings for broadcasters ever since the drama surrounding Tom Brady’s conflicting roles arose.
Some have said they’re essentially worthless, others have said they’re invaluable. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle and depends on the teams, coaches, players, and broadcasters involved.
CBS NFL broadcaster J.J. Watt is currently preparing to call the game between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots on Sunday. He has called some Indianapolis Colts games before, and he shared an anecdote from one of those production meetings that helps explain why the franchise just signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers to its practice squad, even though he has been out of the NFL since 2020.
Fun Fact learned in production meetings,” wrote Watt on X. “Philip Rivers ran the same offense as the Colts for his son Gunnar’s HS team this season. He and Shane Steichen spoke weekly about it, discussing plays and even film. So familiarity with the scheme should be no problem whatsoever.”
Rivers and Steichen go way back. Between 2016 and 2019, Steichen was the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach, working with Rivers. He was also the interim offensive coordinator in 2019. Clearly, the two have kept in touch.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.